Global Times: "Lack of Ethics Is Ruining Chinese Web"

Artist Ai Weiwei published the private cell phone numbers of several people on the Internet November 20, making them suffer from many prank calls. The editor-in-chief and an editor of Global Times were among the victims. This is a prominent case in which political dissent drives people to take immoral activities. Unethical political struggles are more active in China’s microblog sphere now and even many intellectuals and social celebrities are involved. This should not happen in a rational society ….

… As many microbloggers try to attract more followers, their posts veer radical, which causes violent opposition online and brings out more negative influences on Chinese society. It is not teaching people how to accept dissent and be tolerant to each other, but is demonstrating how to become prejudiced and assert dominance ….

All games have their rules and so does the political game on the Internet. If China refutes any regulation of the online world, its social morality will be damaged. The Chinese government should take measures to regulate the online order and curb the increasingly rampant violations on personal rights, including invasion of privacy and death threats. The relevant authorities should take actions to crack down on these illegal acts while safeguarding the freedom of speech.